Collapsible carrier



Dea-1 1925. 1,563,897

C. FLAGsTAD Er AL.-

coLLAPsIBLE sumisa Filed April 7. 1924 ahnung' Patented Dec. l, 1925.

UNETED STATES Peteur GOLLAPSIBLE CARBER.

l Application led April 7,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, Connie. .i-"Lilos'mn und @sont el. Ennesimo, citizens of the United States, residing et Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and Stete of Tri/linnesote, lieve invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Carriers, o which the following is e specification.

This invention relates to collapsible cer riers, end the mein object is to provide :L practical, etlicient und highly novel conA struction of collapsible crete, particularly ndupteble for enclosing end shipping such objects furniture, washing mechii ice bo): sewing machines :ind other l. heavy devices; :ind in which, after 'the objecthzis reached destinodtion-` the crete may be collapsed .into a. comparatively smell. space :ind returned to the originel shipper or'use zig-.tin shipping other things, thus econoniizing on creting materiel by using e single crete e lerge number oli' times. Further and more specific objects will be disclosed in the course ol the following specilicetion, reference being' had to the eccompiinying drawing, in which:

l e perspective view of crete embodying our invention.

' Fig. 2 is en enlarged elevetionoi one of the crete ends es seen from the side, w portions bro..en away for purpose of illus-tration.

Fig. fi is sin enlarged det-nil. section, es seen on the line in Fig. l..

llig. lis i perspective detail of one of the securing members used in fastening en object in the crate.y y

Fig. 5 is en enlarged view of the securing device which is used to lock the crete in its compact or knocked-down position.

Fig. G is en enlarged detail sectional view on the line 6-6 in llig. 5.

Referring to the drawing more particularly end by reference characters, A and B designate the side sections and C and D the end sections of e crete having a. heed or closing device E.

rlhe side sections A and B are preferably of identical construction, and each consists oil e pair of upright end members 7 and 8, horizontal. members 9 end l0, side members li end l2, and a diagonal cross ber 13, all secured together, es by nails, so as to form :i end rigid freine. The end sections @zich consist ot e peir ot crossed and rigidly connected members 14 having e transverse 'cross member 1C to which they ere .192!. Serial No. 704,604.

cross bar l5 rigidly seeurcdto their lower The side ser'tions are provided neer their upper und lower corners with simile constructed receiving; members nd t ing slots 2l adapted to receive the 'toi E22 of laten members 22?; und 2l, which else preferably oit similar consi uction. The members 2e ere locked into the membe d() by e. tilting and si ling movement othe end section, (fl or to which they ere :ittiiched, while the upper meinbr 's 2?; are locked into the members by it s tilting and siidinr movement of the hi .l

etteche. i :,143 1, .1 All, l mi e plOS/Libll, @time which Th e members 25E the tonfmcs with shoulders 25, engage the upper ends oi the 2l to preventreti'oction of the tongues they once secured in their vertical no sitions inthe receiving members Lf, Thus when the four sections A, l, :ire up ininterloclred po ions be releer,Y and separe .i the members l@ outwardly. The cover or heed sect i if) o consists preferably oi n p21/ir ot ri'o A. 2S and 2, givotiilly coinieeted es .l sint 25 is long enough to rest on the end hinged members l5, end is provided et endsvwith rig' enguler iingers edzipt -i to engage over theniembers 216 to prevent them from being swung outwardly when the crete is closed. A plete or strep Oine-y be secured upon the members i6 to receive seid lingers 29. The slet 27 is shorter then the slet 26 and is adapted when swung trims-` versely thereof, to engage with its ends lunder the members 9.0i the side sections, end thus locks the heed end consequentlyv all the sections together in i complete crete.

It may be noticed that the crete is not provided with e detachable bottoni section. Such a. section might or course be provided and could be loosely supported by the members l() or might be hinged to one of the side sections A or B, but loose and hinged bottoms are common and well known in the art, and are therefore not here illustrated, except unless the members l0 may be considered es a bottom. These members l0 are rigid portions of the side sections A and t the e iron members il having perforated flanges 32, which are nailed in the crate adjacent to the object, as may be l'ound necessary or desirable.

lllhen the filled crate has reached its destination and is to be. emptied, collapsed and returned, the ope ator iirst releases and removes the topl section E by turning the bolt or locking slat 27. T he members 16 are then turned down until the locking members 23 are released from the members 19. T he end sections C and l) are then swung outwardly and are completely released from the side sections by being raised until the locking members 24 are tree. The side sections A and B are now tree to be pulled away. The sections C, l) and E (and also the bottoni section it there be one) are now placed in one of the side sections and are retained therein by securing the other side section thereto. A convenient latch for thus securing the side sections thereto. fr convenient latch tor thus securingl the side sections together is shown in Figs l, and and consists in part ot a bracket 33 having a projecting`` linger 34, and a bail 35 adapted to extend beyond the tongue. The interlocking member on the opposite side section consists of a bracket 36, having a socket 37 to receive the in'ger 34, and a slot 38 to receive. the bail 35. A manually releasable spring retained latch 39 is slidably arranged in the member 36v and is adapted to detachably secure the bail S35-in the notch 38.

lt is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the design and structural details of the lcrate herein illustrated and described, provided, however, that such modifications come Within the spirit and scope ot the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully shown and described our invention what we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. In a crate, a pair of side sect-ions, a pair of end sections adapted to be secured at their lower corners to the ends of, the side sections, securing members hingedly mounted on the upper ends ot' the end sections, means at the ends of said securing members for detachably engaging the side sections, and means lfor engaging said securing members to prevent the means at the ends thereof irom swinging out ot' engagement with the side sections.

2. In a crate having a detachable end section, said section having means at one end thereof for detachably securing said end to the crate, the other end o't' the end section having a securing member hingedly secured thereto and extending transversely of the section for engagement with opposite sides ot the crate, tongueA members rigidly secured to said securing member for engagenient with the crate, and means to lock said securing member against swinging movenient to prevent the release of the tongue members.

3. ln 'a collapsible crate having separable sid-2, end and cover sections, means for detachably securing the lower ends o't `the side and end sections together, securing devices hingedly mounted at the upper ends of the end sections and for outward swinging movement therefrom Ltor securing the upper ends ot the sections to the side sections, means extending from the cover section to engage kthe securing' devices, to prevent them trom being released, and means for securing the cover section to the crate.

4t. In a crate of the character described, a pair of side sections each consisting of a shallow frame, a pair ot substantially fiat end sections, each having locking members at its 'lour corners i'or locking engagement with the adjacent corner portions of the side trames, the locking members at the upper corners of eac-h end section being tiltable outwardly and spring-held with respect thereto tor releasing movement from the sidesections, a cover section for the crate, and means operative by securing the cover section to lock the upper locking members of the end sections. i

In testimony whereof we aliix our signatures.

CORNELL rLAesTAD.y Osons A. rLAGsTAD. 

